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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Switching water droplet adhesion using responsive polymer brushes.

Xinjie Liu¹, Qian Ye, Bo Yu

¹State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, PR China.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|June 19, 2010

Summary

Stimuli-responsive polymers grafted onto micro/nanoscale surfaces create switchable wettability. This allows reversible control over droplet behavior (pinned vs. rolling) using temperature, pH, and electrolytes.

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Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Surface Science

Background:

Stimuli-responsive polymers change properties in response to environmental triggers.
Surface topography significantly influences wettability.
Controlling droplet behavior on surfaces is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop surfaces with tunable wettability using stimuli-responsive polymers.
To investigate the impact of micro/nanoscale surface topography on polymer grafting and wettability.
To achieve reversible switching of droplet states (pinned/rolling) on demand.

Main Methods:

Grafting poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) from initiator-modified anodized alumina substrates.
Utilizing substrates with irregular micro/nanoscale surface topography.
Investigating wettability changes induced by temperature, pH, and electrolyte concentration.

Main Results:

Polymer-coated surfaces demonstrated unusual, switchable wettability properties.
Spherical water, acid, alkali, and salt droplets could be reversibly switched between pinned and rolling states.
The observed effect is attributed to a combination of a mixed monolayer, polymer brush growth, hydrophobic substrate, and surface roughness.

Conclusions:

The study successfully demonstrates a method for creating surfaces with dynamically tunable wettability.
The developed surfaces offer precise control over droplet adhesion and mobility.
This work has potential implications for microfluidics, self-cleaning surfaces, and advanced coating technologies.